There’s already a range of plus size clothing for adults at high street and online retailer Next - but they've taken it one step further with a children’s plus sized range.

The children’s range by Next covers from ages three up to 16 years of age - their range of measurements are listed in size (years), height, chest, waist and hips in centimetres. There are also additional measurements for slim-fit waist, slim-fit hips AND plus-fit waist and plus-fit hips in centimetres.

This larger range covers both boys and girls within the age range.

The popular retailer has two stores in Grimsby, one in Freshney Place and one on the Victoria Retail Park.

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Online, their website features a number of pairs of jeans and tracksuit bottoms designed for children with seemingly larger than average waists. Looking at the Next sizing chart, a pair of age 3 plus-fit trousers are 58cm waist and 63cm hips.

The Next sizing chart showing measurements for clothing (Image: Next)

Comparing this with the standard waist measurement of 53cm - it’s 5cm larger, and it's the same size as a slim-fit waist for a seven-year-old.

A six year old in regular fit is 57cm and in plus-fit is 62cm waist - which equates to the sizing for a regular sized 10 year old.

In relation to adult clothing, the measurements for plus-fit waist for a three year old (58cm and 63cm) are very close to a UK size 6 in women's clothes. A size 6 woman is classed as having a 60cm waist and 83cm hips.

Childhood obesity in North East Lincolnshire (Image: Public Health England)

A report by public health England released in March 2017, looked at obesity levels of children in North East Lincolnshire. It found that children in this area have worse than average levels of obesity, with 11.7 per cent of children aged 4-5 years and 22.1 per cent of children aged 10 to 11 years are classified as obese.

Compared with the England average, North East Lincolnshire has a worse percentage of children in reception - 27 per cent - and a worse percentage in Year 6, 37.8 per cent - who have excess weight.

The Next plus-fit range includes school trousers (Image: Next)

Some parents may have children who suffer from specific illnesses which may mean larger sized clothing is needed. But when it comes to children who are otherwise fit and healthy, does it really matter what sized clothing they are wearing?

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Speaking in the Coventry Telegraph, Tam Fry, chief exec of the National Obesity Forum, said: "Next isn’t setting a new trend, they are catering for the market.

“Mothers wanting to clothe their fat children just can’t find the clothes for them.

"They are responding to the current state of affairs.

"It has been in a bad state for a long time but this just shows it has now gone beyond the point of a crisis.

“The UK is sitting on a time bomb of childhood obesity, children are several times fatter than they were in 2002."

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It’s believed Next originally launched its plus fit clothing in 2007, but with a new school term starting it is now being highlighted by concerned parents who have criticised the decision on social media.